Windows build importlib performance regression
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Description
Bug report
I've a file import_models.py:
import time
from ctypes import c_longdouble
from multiprocessing import Value
def import_models_func(_, import_value, exec_value):
init = time.process_time()
import some_class
import_value.value = time.process_time() - init
exec_value.value = 0
if __name__ == '__main__':
import_models_func(0, Value(c_longdouble, lock=False), Value(c_longdouble, lock=False))
The some_class.py is:
import time
class SomeClass:
__slots__ = ('a', 'b', 'c')
def __init__(self):
self.a = time.time()
self.b = self.a / 100
self.c = self.b ** 2
B = 2
for _ in range(10):
B **= 2
@property
def a_val(self):
return self.a
@a_val.getter
def a_val(self):
return self.a
@property
def b_val(self):
return self.b
@b_val.getter
def b_val(self):
return self.b
@property
def c_val(self):
return self.c
@c_val.getter
def c_val(self):
return self.c
The directory containing both files has no __pycache__. I run python -X importtime import_models.py and receive:
import time: 521 | 521 | some_class
Then I run python -m compileall . and re-run the command above, the output is:
import time: 548 | 548 | some_class
I've tried the sampling with multiprocessing governor, which is run with -B. The governor runs this scenario for 100 times, both mean and median statistics values of the timing measured mostly provide with the same results: the timing without __pycache__ is less than when the source files are pre-compiled. Which is a non-sense keeping in mind what the pre-compiled byte-code cache is built for.
I've searched for Windows-related fixes through the versions 3.9 to 3.12 and found nothing about this regression.
Linux build in a native (non-WSL, non-emulated) environment does not have such an issue (the bytecode-compiled version gets imported faster, up to 10 times, than a raw non-compiled source)
Your environment
- CPython versions tested on: Python 3.9.13 (tags/v3.9.13:6de2ca5, May 17 2022, 16:36:42) [MSC v.1929 64 bit (AMD64)] on win32
- Operating system and architecture: Windows 10 Enterprise 21H2 19044.2251
Contributor guide
First steps
- Read the whole issue, then the project's contributing guide.
- Comment on the issue to say you are picking it up — it saves two people doing the same work.
- Fork the repository and make your change on a branch.
- Open a pull request that references the issue number.
Research direction
Start by reproducing the Windows 10 timing difference with the provided import_models.py and some_class.py using -X importtime, then compare runs before and after python -m compileall . and with -B. Check the importlib and Windows-specific import paths involved in loading the module. Done means identifying the cause of the slower cached import and documenting or fixing the regression with a verified comparison.
Written by the indexing model from the issue text.
Assessment
- Tech stack
- python
- Domain
- operating-systems, performance
- Issue type
- Bug
- Difficulty
- 4/5
- Estimated time
- 3-5 days
- Activity status
- Stale
- Clarity
- Mostly clear
- Newbie friendliness
- 35/100